Cotton-picker.



s. J. GRAY.

COTTON PIOKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. 1908.

Patented Apr 2%, 1909*.

lvwemfoz UNlTED can SIDNEY J. GRAY, (ill FORT WORTH, TEX-AS.

oorroitrrcrrsta.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed September 8, 1908. Serial 1%. 252,029.

To all 10710772. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sinner J. GRAY, a cit izen ofthe United States,residing at Fort Worth, in the county of Tarrant and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Cotton-Picker, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has relation to cotton pickers and it consists of thenovel construction and ar angement of its parts as hereinafter shown anddescribed. The object of the invention is to provide a cotton picker inthe form of an attachment which may be easil and readily applied to thebody of an' operator, and which may be used for removing cotton bollsfrom plants, and for conveying the same into a receptacle provided fortheir reception.

VVlth this object in view, the. picker consists primarily of a body orcylinder, in which a shaft is journaled for rotation and upon which ismounted fan blades. mounted upon said body or cylinder, and isoperatively connected with the said shaft. Shoulder straps are attachedto the said body or .cylinder, as are also hooks, upon which ma be hunga receiving bag or other rcceptac e. Outlet pipes are conneeted with thesaid body or cylinder, and are adapted to discharge the cotton from thesaid body or cylinder into the said bag. Flexibleinlet pipes are alsoconnected with the said body or cylinder, and the said flexible pipesare provided at their free ends with bell-mouth nozzles, which areadapted to receive the cotton bolls.

Figure l is a sectional view of the cotton picker. Fig. 2, shows thepicker applied to an operator.

The cotton picker consists of the body or cylinder 1, in which is journaled the shaft 2. The said shaft 2 is conccntrimilly arranged withrelation to the body 1, and is longitudinally disposed therein. Theoutlet pipes 23 communicate with the interior of the body or cylinder 1.The ni iples 4. also communicate with the interior oi the body orcylinder 1, and the llcxible hose pipes 5 are connected with the saidnipples 1. The boll-mouth funnels or nozzles 6 are connected with thefree ends of the hose-pipes 5. The body or cylinder 1 is provided at itsopposite ends with the hooks 7, upon which a bag 8 may be hung. The eyes9 are attached to the uppcr portion of the body or cylinder 1 and the Amotor is shoulder straps 10 are attached to the said eyes 9. The motorii is mounted upon the body or cylinder 1, as are also the batteries 12.The said battcriesl? are electrically connected with the motor 11 in theusual manner. The beveled gear Wheel 13 is mounted upon the shaft of themotor 11'. The shaft 1+3: is transversely disposed with jects down intothe same. The beveled pinion is mounted upon'the upper end of the shaftis, and meshes with the beveled gear wheel 13. The beveled pinion 16 ismounted at the lower end of the shaft 14 and meshes with a beveledpinion-17, mounted upon the shaft 2. The fan-blades 18 are also mountedupon the shaft 2, and are located over the ends of the outlet pipes 3.

The body or cylinder 1 is suspended at the back of an operator, whoseshoulders are surrounded by the straps 10. When in this position thenipples 4 are forwardly and downwardly disposed, and are locatedaproxiniately at the sides of theoperator. lhe operator grasps one ofthe hose pipes 5 in each hand, and may direct the nozzles 6 in anydirection. The operator then passes between the rows of plants and themotor 11 is started. Through the said motor 11 the shafts 14 and 2 arerotated, and the fan blades 8 are carried around over the upper ends ofthe outlet pipes 33. Such movement on the part of the ran-blades 8forces blasts of air from the interior o 1 the body or cylinder 1through-the said outlet pipes 3, and consequently a partial vacuum iscreated within. the said body or cylinder 1 The air rushes in throughthe nozzles 6, hosepipes 5 and nipples 4 to fill the said vacuum, andthe operator, by directing the nozzles 6 against the cotton bollspartially interrupts the passage of. air through the said nozzles,hose-pipes and nipples, and conse qucntly a suction strain is brought tobear against the cotton bolls. Such strain removes the bolls from tliebranches of the plants, and the said bolls follow the current of airpassing through the nozzles, hose- )ipes and nipples and enter thecylinder or l ody 1. The said bolls then follow the courseof thecurrents of air, and eventually pass out of the cylinder-or body 1through the outlet pipes 3 and fall into the bag 8.

in the present structure an electric motor l is shown and described asthe means for oprelation to the body or cylinder 1 and PTO:

spring or other type of engine.

Having described my invention, what I mounted upon the shaft and locatedover claim as new, and desire to secure, by Let- 5 o ls Patent, is

A cotton picker comprising a body, means for attaching the same to anoperator, said body having outlets located in the vlcinity of its ends,and inlet nipples similarly loca'tecl, flexible tubes connected with theinlet nipples, & shaft located in the body, fans body and locatedbetween the said attachmg means and operatively connecting with theshaft at a point between the fans.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY J. GRAY.

Witnesses T. F. MURRAY, R. H. SMITH.

